High-power explosive



Nrrnn STATES ATEENT Fries.

JONAS a. BLOMEN, or STANHOPE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE JOVEITE MANUFACTURING COMPANY. or

VIRGINIA.

snoweowsn EXPLOSlVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 530,063, dated. November 27, 1894. Application filed March 12, 1894. Serial No. 503,340. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JONAS E. BLOMEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stanhope, in the county of Sussex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful. lmprovementsin High-PowerExplosives; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in high-power explosives, and it consists essentially immixing together a suitable hydrocarbon derivative, an oxidizing agent and a suitable material for rendering the mixture sufiiciently sensitive to be detonated or exploded. The hydrocarbon orits derivative should be of such a nature as to form a coat or varnish to the oxidizing agent by which the hygroscopic properties of the latter may be greatly reduced if not altogether remedied. For this purpose I have found rosin and nitronaphthalene suitable hydrocarbon derivatives, both being well adapted for the purpose specified.

In preparing the explosive, the hydrocarhon derivative is melted, the oxidizing agent is mixed into the melted material, and then the sensitizing agent is added. For the latter purpose small proportions of the phenol-derivatives or charcoal alone have been found well suited; or the p11enoliderivativesunay be used together with charcoal and sulphur or the charcoal alone. For the oxidizing agents any of he nitrates or chlorates may be employed, butI prefer nitrate of soda on account of its greater cheapness its hygroscopic properties being largely remedied by the hydro-' carbon which acts as a coating or varnish to ke p out the moisture of the atmosphere.

The phenol-derivativcs and the nitro-naphthalcnes used are preferably the crude nitroderivatives consisting of mixtures of substances having various degrees of nitration.

In the nitroderivatives of phenol used in this process there is generally contained from ten per cent. to twenty-five per cent. of trinitrophenol the remaining constituent being a mixture of mono and dinitrophenol.

I have found the explosive manufactured in accordance with the following formulae to give good results.

First, nitro-naphthalenes, eight per cent; nitrate of soda, seventy-six per cent; nitrophenols, sixteen per cent. total, one hundred the relative proportions of nitro-naphthalenes, or other hydrocarbon derivative, and of the sodium nitrate, or other oxidizing agent, may be varied from one .to eight to one to four, respectively, dep ndent upon the degree of nitration of the hy rocarbons and of the component parts of the mixture, and also upon the nature and purity of the hydrocarbons and their derivatives or ofthe oxidizing agent.

I do not wish to limit myself to any exact proportions of the herein described substances, or their equivalents, but

I claim broadly as new- 1. A high power explosive consisting of an oxidizing agent, a mixture of phenol-derivatives and otherhyd rocarbon derivatives, charcoal, and sulfunsubstantially as described.

2. A high power explosive consisting of a mixture of nitro-naphthalenes, an oxidizing agent and a mixture of nitro-phenols. Y

3. A high power explosive consisting of a mixture of uitro-uaphthalencs, nitrate of soda, and a mixture of nitro-phenols, substantially as described.

4. A high-power explosive consisting of a mixture of nitro-naphthalenes, an oxidizing agent, a mixture of nitro-phenols, and char coal, substantially as described.

5; A high-power explosive consisting of a mixture of nitro naphthalenes, an oxidizing agent, a mixture of nitro-phenols, sulphur and charcoal, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JONAS E. nLoMEN. 

